Daily Sitka Sentinel

Tuesday Vote to Settle Hard-Fought Races

By TOM HESSE
Sentinel Staff Writer
    Voters will pick oil tax structures and a Republican challenger for Mark Begich’s U.S. Senate seat Tuesday in Alaska’s primary election.

François Bakkes casts his ballot as election workers Dorothy Orbison and Kim Hunter look on this afternoon at Centennial Hall. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

    Those are the top issues on a ballot that also let voters select a Democrat to oppose Rep. Don Young for Congress, and Republican and Democratic candidates for governor and lieutenant governor.
    On the local scene, neither the Republican nor the Democratic candidate for State House is opposed for nomination.
    Polling stations for both of Sitka’s two precincts are at Centennial Hall. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. To cast a ballot, a voter needs to have been registered by July 20 of this year.
    The most widely publicized issue in this year’s primary is Ballot Measure 1, which is a referendum on the oil tax structure passed by the Legislature in 2013 as Senate Bill 21. The ballot measure is the result of a citizen petition. A Yes vote is a vote to repeal SB 21. If the measure is repealed, the previous oil tax structure, nicknamed ACES, will go back into effect.
    All voters will cast a vote on the oil tax issue and a separate ballot is available for voters who only wish to decide on that issue. See page 2 for a copy of Ballot Measure 1. 
     In short, the tax that was passed in 2013 raises the base tax rate from 25 percent under the old system to 35 percent under the new system, but it also adds two new tax credits and eliminates a part of the old system that raised the tax rate based on the price of oil.
    Under ACES, oil was taxed at a rate of 25 percent and a progressivity clause raised the overall tax rate based on the selling price of a barrel of oil. Additionally, there was a 20 percent tax credit for capital expenses.
    The new law starts at a tax rate of 35 percent and features an additional tax credit of $5 per barrel. A second tax credit is based on the price of a barrel of oil. That credit ranges from an $8-a-barrel credit when oil prices are low and no tax credit if oil prices are higher than $150 a barrel.
    The new tax structure also greatly increases the number of tax deductions available for exploratory oil.
    The explanation on the ballot runs to 14 densely printed paragraphs and over 1,000 words before asking: “Should this law be rejected?”
    Alaska Republican Party ballot
    Five races are on the Republican party ballot. In Alaska, each party can select who may participate in their primary election. This year, voters registered as Republican, nonpartisan or undeclared can choose the Republican party ballot.
    For U.S. Senate, the Republican candidates are John Jaramillo, Joe Miller, Mead Treadwell and Dan Sullivan. Sullivan, a former Alaska attorney general and resources commissioner, is not to be confused with another Dan Sullivan, the current mayor of Anchorage, who is also on the ballot running for lieutenant governor against Kelly Wolf. Both Sullivans appear on the ballot as Dan Sullivan.
    In the race for the Republican nomination for U.S. House, incumbent Rep. Don Young faces David Seaward, John Cox and David Dohner.
    For the governor’s race, Gov. Sean Parnell is opposed on the GOP ballot by Brad Snowden, Gerald Heikes and Russ Millette.
    Steven Samuelson of Petersburg is unopposed as the Republican candidate for State House District 35, which now includes Sitka. Samuelson will face Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, who is also unopposed for his party’s nomination, in the November election.

    Alaska Democratic Party ballot
    Candidates representing the Alaska Democratic party, Alaska Libertarian party and the Alaska Independence party are listed on the Democratic ballot, which can be chosen by any registered voter, regardless of party affiliation.
    For U.S. Senate, Sen. Mark Begich is opposed by Thom Walker, William Bryk, Mark Fish, Zachary Kile, Scott Kohlhaas and Vic Kohring.
    Democratic candidates vying to face Don Young in November are Jim McDermott, Frank Vondersaar and Forrest Dunbar.
    Byron Mallott, Phil Stoddard and Carolyn Clift are running for the Democratic nomination for governor.
    Candidates seeking the Democratic nomination as lieutenant governor are Andrew Lee, Robert Williams and Hollis French.
    Finally, incumbent Kreiss-Tomkins is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination to the House District 35 seat.
    Voters may choose any ballot they are qualified to vote on or they may select to vote only on Ballot Measure 1.